them for the object of acquiring the drill and duties of soldiers, thereby adding greatly to the efficiency of the regiments. I believe that if these suggestions should be adopted, I can promise the general commanding a brigade as efficient and reliable as is to be found in the army.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. P. BEE,

Brigadier-General, Provisional Army.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DIST. OF TEX., N. MEX. AND ARIZ., Numbers 97.
Houston, Tex., June 23, 1863.

The State of Texas having been divided into three military sub-districts, their geographical limits are defined to be as follows:

I. The Eastern Sub-District, under the command of Brigadier General W. R. Scurry, comprises that portion of the State included between the Sabine River on the east and a line commencing at Watson's Ferry on the Sabine and running along the southern boundary of Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Anderson, Freestone, and limestone Counties, to Marlin, Falls County, on the Brazos; thence up the Brazos to McLennan, and thence along the western boundary of Falls, Bell, Williamson, Travis, Bastrop, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton, and Matagorda Counties, to Pass Cavallo, on the Gulf of Mexico, but excluding Pass Covallo.

II. The Western Sub-District, under the command of Brigadier General H. P. Bee, comprises that portion of the State bounded on the east by the Eastern Sub-District, up to the southern boundary of McLennan County, on the Brazos; thence by the Brazos River to Fort Belknap, and thence by a line drawn due north to Red River, and thence to the extreme western limits of the State, inclusive.

III. The Northern Sub-District, under the command of Acting Brigadier General S. P. Bankhead, comprises the remainder of the State, north of the Eastern and east of the West Sub-District.

By command of Major General J. Bankhead magruder:

STEPHEN D. YANCEY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT,
Shreveport, La., June 24, 1863.

Major SIMEON HART,

Assistant Quartermaster, San Antonio, Tex.:

MAJOR: I inclose you a list of articles* required for the service of the ordnance department. Major Minter will very soon send you a list of articles required for the service of the quartermaster's department. He says he furnished you with a list in February last for the quartermaster's department of the District of Texas, and if you will so increase it as to supply Louisiana and Arkansas, it will be satisfactory. Mr. S. Simpson, who represents himself as the agent for several large commercial associations in Great Britain, has said to me he is willing to buy cotton in this or other localities with sterling exchange, so as to enable you to pay for foreign cargoes. This will relieve you from the difficulty of transportation to Matamoras. There are about 20,000 bales of cotton in this vicinity purchased by the sub-agents of the Treasury

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*List omitted.

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